I have SH6XL.   I'd like to have the step sequencer but it simply isn't bundled with SH6XL.

Is there a way of buying it and plugging it in?  Or is there another step sequencer that I can buy as a VST?

I'd like to do drum sequencing.

no, its not  separate plug in.
piano roll is the key.
its used in almost every daw out there, even the cheap ones.

this is how easy it is to write drums with the piano roll.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruAnAPR6-hQ

Thanks Chuck,  thats helpful.

I'm not too familiar with the PRV.
I looked at the video and there are some differences between the Sonar you're using and mine.
These are my snap settings:




I want to change the left hand side so it displays the sample name, not the piano view, but the names don't seem to match session drummer names:




And finally, when I do write a note in the PRV, it either does not play or it plays a MIDI "pattern", not an individual note!   

So, these are my teething problems.

Thanks for the video.  It was helpful.

In the MIDI track pane, select New Drum Map>Session Drummer 2. That should bring up the SD 2 names.
It worked for me.

Take a look at this thread:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=2816323
 

The octave below the Session Drummer instruments plays the MIDI patterns loaded in Session Drummer. The General MIDI Drum names should line up with the Session Drummer instruments however not all the instruments will sound. Whether a note sounds or not depends on the kit loaded in Session Drummer. You could try using the Session Drummer drum map, some find it easier to work with drums in the PRV using a drum map. There should be a Session Drummer drum map already defined so all you have to do is load it up.

Thanks I got those names right now.




Now, how do I get the other settings such as "snap" right so I can draw the notes at the right intervals etc, so it essentially gives me the same 16 beat placeholders as this:

scook


The octave below the Session Drummer instruments plays the MIDI patterns loaded in Session Drummer. The General MIDI Drum names should line up with the Session Drummer instruments however not all the instruments will sound. Whether a note sounds or not depends on the kit loaded in Session Drummer. You could try using the Session Drummer drum map, some find it easier to work with drums in the PRV using a drum map. There should be a Session Drummer drum map already defined so all you have to do is load it up.

How do you import drum map midi into the PRV?

Bansaw

scook


The octave below the Session Drummer instruments plays the MIDI patterns loaded in Session Drummer. The General MIDI Drum names should line up with the Session Drummer instruments however not all the instruments will sound. Whether a note sounds or not depends on the kit loaded in Session Drummer. You could try using the Session Drummer drum map, some find it easier to work with drums in the PRV using a drum map. There should be a Session Drummer drum map already defined so all you have to do is load it up.

How do you import drum map midi into the PRV?

See posts 4 and 5.

Bansaw, you already have the SD2 drum map in place, as Greg suggested. Your screen shot shows that.
The snap to grid setting just draws your notes to the nearest increment. As you have it set in post #7, your notes will be drawn to the nearest eighth note. It does not give you "placeholders".

The sequencer you have shown just happens to have 16 slots showing.
You really have a lot of flexibility with the PRV in SHS6. You don't need placeholders, and you are not limited to the available slots in the sequencer.
The grid in the PRV gives you your reference points. You can set the grid resolution to any note value you would like to use. In post #7, you have it set to quarter notes, so your project is probably set to 4/4 time.

You can do a sequencer-like procedure in the PRV. I actually prefer doing it this way, because I have absolute control, instead of relying on the step sequencer to interpret what I mean to do.




In this view, I have the Session Drummer 2 map selected as the output of my MIDI track, so the PRV shows the correct drum names.
In the track view, I have set loop points so that measure 1 loops continuously.
In the PRV, I can add, delete, or move notes as measure 1 loops. Snap to grid is set to Real Time-0.00 so that notes can be placed precisely where I want them. Snap to grid tends to even them out too much, and make it sound mechanical. I have essentially turned it off.
Once I have the pattern the way I want it, I can go to the track view, select the measure(s), and convert them to a groove clip. Instant loops.
You can put the loop points anywhere you want, so you can dial in any specific part of your MIDI track.
Play with this a bit. Once you get a feel for it, I think you'll like it.